Single-molecule methods to study membrane receptor oligomerization.

Membrane receptors control fundamental cellular processes. Binding of a specific ligand to a receptor initiates communication through the membrane and activation of signaling cascades. This activation process often leads to a spatial rearrangement of receptors in the membrane at the molecular level. Single-molecule techniques contributed significantly to the understanding of receptor organization and rearrangement in membranes. Here, we review four prominent single-molecule techniques that have been applied to membrane receptors, namely, stepwise photobleaching, Förster resonance energy transfer, sub-diffraction localization microscopy and co-tracking. We discuss the requirements, benefits and limitations of each technique, discuss target labeling, present a selection of applications and results and compare the different methodologies.

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